CHRISTIAN BALE, OSCAR ISAAC TO STAR IN KIRK KERKORIAN PRODUCED FILM ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

00:08, 16 Jun 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Oscar winning actor, Christian Bale, and Oscar-nominated actor Oscar
Issac are set to star in a film about the Armenian Genocide being
produced by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, reported showbiz411.com
on Monday.

According to The Wrap, the "Promise" is an epic love story that
Oscar-winning filmmaker Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda") will direct
from a script he co-wrote with Robin Swicord ("Memoirs of a Geisha").

Production is slated to start this fall in Southern Europe, including
Portugal and the Canary Islands.

Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, "The Promise" follows
a love triangle between Michael, a brilliant medical student, the
beautiful and sophisticated Ana, and Chris -- a renowned American
journalist based in Paris.

Bale will play Chris, an AP reporter in love with both a woman and the
danger of being in a combat zone amidst a world that is falling apart.

Isaac will play Michael, a medical student in love with the same
woman but conflicted by old-world traditions and his heart.

Hotel Rwanda director Terry George has recruited Christian Bale and
Oscar Isaac to anchor two points of a historical love triangle in
The Promise, an epic romance that George co-wrote with Robin Swicord
(Memoirs of a Geisha).

The film, set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, focuses on
three individuals - Michael, a medical student in love with a woman
but grappling with the schism between old-world traditions and his new
love; Chris, a Paris-based reporter for the Associated Press in love
with the same woman and with the adrenaline rush of wartime reporting;
and Ana, a beautiful and sophisticated woman.

Bale will play Chris, while Isaac has been set for the role of
Michael. No actress has yet been set for the part of Ana.

The draw of The Promise is clear for George. The Ottoman Empire ended
in 1922 following the 1915 Armenian Genocide, a catastrophic event
that saw between 800,000 and 1.5 million people killed. The filmmaker
was a guest of the Armenian State Pedagogical Universal in March of
2013, and he then compared that genocide to the Rwanda genocide he
covered so effectively in Hotel Rwanda. It makes sense that George
would want to explore the monstrous chapter in the Ottoman Empire's
history on the big screen.

Bale is an Oscar winner who has shown a clear dedication to starring
in movies that look at other cultures. He appeared in Chinese-language
war film The Flowers of War and Vietnam-set Rescue Dawn - and looking
much further back, he made his big screen debut in Empire of the Sun.

As for Isaac, he's in the middle of a career boom at the moment thanks
to roles in upcoming blockbusters Star Wars: The Force Awakens and
X-Men: Apocalypse. The actor earned raves for his lead performance in
Inside Llewyn Davis, but it was really the one-two punch of A Most
Violent Year and Ex Machina that put him on the map. Don't expect
Isaac to fade anytime soon, especially with HBO miniseries Show Me a
Hero poised to thrust him into the Emmy race. Working with Bale and
George must have been a no-brainer for the actor.

I wonder about the future of this film now that this great man is gone.

SCOOPED 1ST HERE: LATE KIRK KERKORIAN PRODUCING TERRY GEORGE FILM WITH CHRISTIAN BALE AND OSCAR ISAAC

ShowBiz411.com
July 7 2015

by Roger Friedman - July 7, 2015 5:33 pm

told you first that Kirk Kerkorian was producing an epic about the
Armenian genocide. Kerkorian died last month at age 98. But the movie
goes on. Terry George is directing with Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac.

Now "The Promise" is officially being made by Survival Pictures,
managed by Eric Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic for the late Kerkorian.

Tracinda Corporation, Kerkorian's company, is funding Survival and
"The Promise" as well as other films.

Longtime Kerkorian attorney and spokesperson Patricia Glaser said
in a statement, "Survival Pictures was born out of Kirk Kerkorian's
unwavering dedication to telling inspiring human stories for audiences
around the world. THE PROMISE will be a wonderful love story and will
open the door to the championing of human rights. This film fulfills
a longstanding dream for Mr. Kerkorian who was thrilled to participate
in the development and casting process."

COMPANY FOUNDED BY KIRK KERKORIAN TO PRODUCE FILM ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

12:34, 08 Jul 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Tracinda Corp., the holding company founded by the late Kirk Kerkorian,
has unveiled production company Survival Pictures with the Christian
Bale-Oscar Isaac drama "The Promise" as its first project, Variety
has learned exclusively.

Survival is described as telling stories of "perseverance, endurance
and the inextinguishable fire of the human spirit" to reflect
Kerkorian's values. Kerkorian, who bought and sold MGM and United
Artists three times, died on June 16 at the age of 98.

"The Promise" will be produced and financed by Survival Pictures
managers Eric Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic, with "Hotel Rwanda"
director Terry George helming from a script he wrote with Robin
Swicord.

The story is set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, which was
dissolved in 1922, with shooting in Portugal and the Canary Islands
scheduled for the fall. Mike Medavoy ("Black Swan") is producing for
his Phoenix Pictures banner with Esrailian, Ralph Winter ("X-Men")
and William Horberg ("Milk").

The script centers on a love triangle with a medical student, an
American journalist based in Paris and a beautiful and sophisticated
woman. Bale will play the reporter, and Isaac will portray the student,
who's conflicted by old-world traditions.

Bale was last seen in "Exodus: Gods and Kings" and stars in two
completed Terrence Malick titles -- "Knight of Cups" and "Weightless."

Isaac will be seen in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "X-Men:
Apocalypse."

Longtime Kerkorian attorney and spokesperson Patricia Glaser said,
"Survival Pictures was born out of Kirk Kerkorian's unwavering
dedication to telling inspiring human stories for audiences around
the world. 'The Priomise' will be a wonderful love story and will
open the door to the championing of human rights. This film fulfills a
longstanding dream for Mr. Kerkorian, who was thrilled to participate
in the development and casting process."

YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. Tracinda Corp., the holding company
founded by the late Kirk Kerkorian, has unveiled production company
Survival Pictures with the Christian Bale-Oscar Isaac drama "The
Promise" as its first project. Armenpress reports the aforementioned
citing "Variety."

Survival is described as telling stories of "perseverance, endurance
and the inextinguishable fire of the human spirit" to reflect
Kerkorian's values. Kerkorian, who bought and sold MGM and United
Artists three times, died on June 16 at the age of 98.

"The Promise" will be produced and financed by Survival Pictures
managers Eric Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic, with "Hotel Rwanda"
director Terry George helming from a script he wrote with Robin
Swicord. The story is set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire,
which was dissolved in 1922, with shooting in Portugal and the
Canary Islands scheduled for the fall. Mike Medavoy ("Black Swan")
is producing for his Phoenix Pictures banner with Esrailian, Ralph
Winter ("X-Men") and William Horberg ("Milk").

The script centers on a love triangle with a medical student, an
American journalist based in Paris and a beautiful and sophisticated
woman. Bale will play the reporter, and Isaac will portray the student,
who's conflicted by old-world traditions. Bale was last seen in
"Exodus: Gods and Kings" and stars in two completed Terrence Malick
titles -- "Knight of Cups" and "Weightless." Isaac will be seen in
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "X-Men: Apocalypse."

Longtime Kerkorian attorney and spokesperson Patricia Glaser said,
"Survival Pictures was born out of Kirk Kerkorian's unwavering
dedication to telling inspiring human stories for audiences around
the world. 'The Priomise' will be a wonderful love story and will
open the door to the championing of human rights. This film fulfills a
longstanding dream for Mr. Kerkorian, who was thrilled to participate
in the development and casting process."

World-renowned songer Serj Tankian made a post in his Facebook page
informing that he is participating in the project. As Armenpress
reports citing the singer's official Facebook page, he wrote:
"Dear Friends,

For the last few years I have had the unique honor of helping and
advising my friend Esrailian on this upcoming major film. Will send
more details as they emerge".

The mass media representatives learned about the fact of Kirk
Kerkorian's funding of the drama "The Promise" on June 15. The same
day the philanthropist died at the age of 98.

The American-Armenian legendary businessman, billionaire Kirk
Kerkorian made sure that the film about the Armenian Genocide will
be shot after his death. The film will be shot by Survival Pictures
studio which is headed by Eric Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic.

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. After wrapping Jonathan Nolan's
upcoming HBO series "Westworld," Angela Sarafyan has been cast as
Oscar Isaac's wife in the epic love story "The Promise," reports
"Armenpress" citing The Wrap.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda") will direct
from a script he co-wrote with Robin Swicord ("Memoirs of a Geisha").

Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, "The Promise" deals
with the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Isaac stars alongside Christian
Bale and Charlotte Le Bon, the latter of whom serves as the center
of a love triangle.

Sarafyan has closed a deal to play Isaac's wife from an arranged
marriage.

Production is slated to start this fall in Southern Europe, including
Portugal and the Canary Islands.

Sarafyan recently appeared on "American Horror Story" and in Max
Landis' directorial debut "Me Him Her." She also played Marion
Cotillard's sister in James Gray's "The Immigrant" and Lucas Till's
love interest in "Paranoia."

JAMES CROMWELL, JEAN RENO JOIN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE-THEMED FILM "THE PROMISE"

00:01, 02 Oct 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

James Cromwell and Jean Reno have joined Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac
in the historical romance "The Promise," a new Armenian Genocide-themed
film, Variety reports.

Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda") is directing from a script he wrote with
Robin Swicord, centering on a love triangle in 1922 with a medical
student, an American journalist based in Paris and a beautiful and
sophisticated woman, portrayed by Charlotte Le Bon. Bale will play
the reporter, and Isaac will portray the student, conflicted by
old-world traditions.

Cromwell will play an American ambassador who becomes heroic when
challenged, while Reno will play a French admiral deeply conflicted
in the face of life-threatening danger. The story is set amid the
final days of the Ottoman Empire.

Shohreh Aghdashloo and Daniel Gimenez Cacho also star.

Shooting has started in Spain and Portugal and will go into December.

Eric Esrailian will produce on behalf of Survival Pictures with
Mike Medavoy for Phoenix Pictures, Ralph Winter and William Horberg
("Milk"). Survivial was unveiled as a production company in July by
Tracinda Corp., the holding company founded by the late Kirk Kerkorian.

On June 15 the Armenian nation lost one its greatest sons. A man, who
through his brilliance, humility, and honesty rose to become a symbol
of generosity to the Armenian nation and an icon of business in the
international community.

Kirk Kerkorian was 98 when he passed away, leaving a remarkable
imprint on the lives of those who were closest to him, as well as the
world at large.

So, imagine being responsible for carrying on his legacy, which we all
found out a day before his passing, includes the establishment of a
newly formed production company'Survival Pictures'that is producing a
film'`The Promise' `starring some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest
award-winning talent. It is no small feat.

Throughout the decades, Asbarez has covered Kerkorian's generosity, be
that his continuous support of Armenian schools and
infrastructure-building projects in Armenia, or his successes and
trajectory in the world of business. But Kerkorian's humble life has
been somewhat elusive to the public at large, because he preferred it
that way.

I had a chance to meet with two people who have the gargantuan task of
carrying on Kerkorian's legacy, and whose respect toward the man
propels their every move to ensure that what Kerkorian started comes
to fruition in the way that `Kirk would have wanted.'

The words `humble,' `vision,' and his pride in being Armenian were
echoed several times in my conversation earlier this month with his
longtime attorney and spokesperson Patricia Glaser and the co-manager
and the producer for Survival Pictures, Eric Esrailian'two of
Kerkorian's closest associates.

`I think Kirk is with us every day,' said Esrailian. `He lived by
example. He wasn't doing anything artificial. If anything, he was
extremely genuine ` which we can't get enough of in this world. I
think that's what people can strive to be: Hard working; self-made;
proud; Armenian.'

Glaser, who has worked with Kerkorian for more than 40 years
highlighted how his humble beginnings as the son of Armenian
immigrants had informed his principles in business, finance and
philanthropy, most of which also extended to his personal life. He
could have afforded an extravagant lifestyle, but he consciously shied
away from it.

To illustrate Krekorian's worldview Glaser recalled a time when he
opted to live in the guest house of a sprawling property, which he
owned in Beverly Hills instead of the main house, which he leased,
saying the smaller accommodations were more comfortable and suited his
needs.

`He had his own view of things,' Glaser added. `He had a great sense
of right and wrong. He was a very, very loyal guy`sometimes to a
fault. Hugely loyal to the people around him.'

`You can do the right things, keep your head down, and there is not a
need try to make it bigger than it is ' but be proud. Everyone close
[to Kerkorian] would say, he was extremely proud of his heritage. He
was a proud Armenian, and he wanted the same from the rest of us. He
was extremely hopeful for the future,' said Esrailian.

In 2011, Kerkorian's charitable organization, the Lincy Foundation,
transferred its assets, estimated at the time to be $200 million, to
the UCLA Dream Fund. Since its establishment in 1989, Lincy donated
more than $1.1 billion to schools, hospitals, scientific research
projects and other charitable endeavors. The Lincy Foundation also
generously supported Armenian charities in the United States, as well
as endeavors in the Republic of Armenia.

The Dream Fund has consistently contributed to Armenian schools and
organizations, as well as educational initiatives in Armenia.

The logo for Survival Pictures, a production company founded by
Kerkorian, whose first film, `The Promise' finished production this
month

Survival Pictures and `The Promise'
It was his loyalty toward his ancestry and convictions that propelled
Kerkorian to finance Survival Pictures with the aim of producing an
epic film that centered on people and life experiences.
News of a Kerkorian-financed film was hinted in the entertainment
media in February. However, it wasn't until June, a day before
Kerkorian's death, that the establishment of Survival Pictures and its
plans to produce `The Promise' were officially announced.

Five months later, production on `The Promise' has wrapped on location
in Spain, Portugal and Malta and the film will go into post-production
in January. Esrailian told me that Survival Pictures is also producing
another project which will be announced in the coming year.

`Finally in the last few years of his life he [Kerkorian] said: `I am
not waiting for anybody else. I'm going to finance it myself and I
want it to be epic, I want people to come to it'. That was really
important to him,' said Glaser adding that Kerkorian wanted the film
to be a love story and have `a major A-plus cast.'

`The Promise' stars Oscar Isaac. In 2013, he was nominated for a
Golden Globe for his turn in the Coen Brothers' `Inside Llewyn Davis,'
and is up for another Golden Globe in January for his role in the HBO
miniseries `Show Me a Hero.' He can currently be seen in a little
movie called, `Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and next year in `X-Men:
Apocalypse'! His co-star, Christian Bale, is also no stranger to
awards. He won an Academy Award for his role in the `The Fighter,'
became a cultural icon for his role as Batman in the `Dark Knight'
trilogy and currently can be seen in the `The Big Short,' which is
getting Oscar buzz this season.

Oscar Issac and Christian Bale star in `The Promise'

The writer and director of the movie also come from a similar
pedigree. Writing credit is being shared by Terry George and Robin
Swicord, with George directing the film. George wrote and directed the
acclaimed `Hotel Rwanda' and wrote `In the Name of the Father,' for
which he was nominated for an Academy Award. He also won an Oscar for
his short film called `The Shore.' Swicord is also an acclaimed writer
who is known for the Oscar-nominated films, `The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button' and`Memoirs of a Geisha' among others.

Esrailian said that the film `is all because of Kirk. The vision for
it; the passion; even the idea of the love story and the ambiance he
wanted people to experience. Those elements couldn't have come
together without somebody putting the architecture around it for us to
get started.'

Glaser and Esrailian, who is also producing the film with industry
legend Mike Medavoy (`Black Swan' and `Shutter Island' among many
others), say `The Promise' promises to deliver. They had high praise
the cast, crew, and everyone else involved in the production of the
film.

According to Esrailian, the idea for the film came together with
Kerkorian in 2011, and the team formed Survival Pictures in 2012. That
same year, Esrailian and Medavoy began carefully building the project,
and a first draft of the script was presented in 2013. All facets of
the film were in place prior his death, and the intricate production
began less than three months after.

`Kirk imagined people going to the movie theater,' said Esrailian,
explaining Kerkorian's vision for `The Promise,' in the face of
proposals to make the film into a mini-series or release the film on
digital platforms.

Kirk Kerkorian stands in front of a Las Vegas hotel under construction in 1968.

He recalled a conversation with Glaser after Kerkorian had decided to
move forward with the film and had told the two: `You guys better do
this.'

`We were meeting with somebody very influential who said I see this as
an amazing mini-series. The story of the culture is too much to put
into a movie.' We looked at each other and said how are we going to
explain this to Kirk. He [Kerkorian] was very involved because of his
vision and wanted to be involved in the high points. In fact, he had
seen all the story boards. He knew we had cast incredible actors, and
he knew that the schedule was in place,' said Esrailian.

`It's hard to believe, and Patty can vouch for this as well, but Kirk
didn't go to a lot of movies. The ones that he went to and the ones
that he loved, he remembered fondly. He would refer to them as we were
planning [the film] saying `this is how I'd love to see it come
together.''

`He loved to stand in line in a movie theater. He didn't want it
screened at his house He loved to stand in line with everybody else. I
used to love that about him,' added Glaser.

`The film is ultimately about people. The other thing that Kirk wanted
was the celebration of Armenian culture. People already know about our
history and the facts. It is not necessarily entertaining to have a
history lesson, especially when you're somewhat educated to it.
However, most people don't know about Armenian culture,' said
Esrailian.

`Because of who inspired us to make the film, there is an important
Armenian aspect to it, but it really is a universal story,' added
Esrailian.

Both Esrailian and Glaser agree that the subject matter is very
relevant. `If you look around and think about love, peace, tolerance
(`Genocide,' Glaser interjects), and man's inhumanity to man, you
realize that ` unfortunately ' it's extremely relevant,' said
Esrailian.

`The story is beautifully written. If we do say so ourselves, we have
an unbelievable cast. I think we have some of the best actors in the
world including Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale. Charlotte Le Bon'she's
done an incredible job. And, everybody else¦I don't want to limit it
just to the leads, because it doesn't do justice to the work that
other cast members have done. Even people who have come in for more
focused parts, like James Cromwell, who plays Ambassador Morgenthau;
Marwan Kenzari, Jean Reno, Shohreh Aghdashloo, or Angela Sarafyan.
It's truly like a United Nations in the cast. Each one of them brought
the goods. This is a universal story. Because of all those elements
apply to people anywhere and at any time in the world,' added
Esrailian.

`As an Armenian, I ask what would make Kirk proud? I can look at these
actors and their performances and say `Wow. You're making us proud,''
said Esrailian, adding, `Sadly, he doesn't get to see it, but I do
feel like he is with us every day.'

`The two things that I keep thinking about every day is that it's an
honor and that it's humbling,' said Esrailian of his involvement in
the project. `Thanks to a great mentor like Kirk, I feel the
responsibility with everything we do going forward, but I also view it
as an honor. To have somebody like Kirk trust me¦ I don't think there
is anything else that one can do that is more monumental in my life.'

`Kirk will be proud,' Esrailian said in an email to me after
production was completed on `The Promise' on December 22 and several
week after our conversation. `That makes all of the hard work even
more special.'

LOS ANGELES'The entertainment blog, The Playlist, is predicting that
much-anticipated Genocide-themed film, `The Promise,' with its lead
actors Oscar Issac and Christian Bale, will be on a short list for
Academy Award consideration in 2017.

`Right now, 'The Promise,' from `Hotel Rwanda' director Terry George,
is a little under the radar, but we don't expect that to last.
Firstly, it's a lavish period love triangle set against the Armenian
genocide in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, a subject matter
rarely examined on film but is long overdue for the big-budget
treatment. Secondly, it has a heavyweight cast, particularly when it
comes to its two male leads Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, and we
think either one could end up registering with the Academy. It'll
depend on which actor ends up campaigning for lead (assuming it's
picked up in time for an awards season release), but both are
deserving: Bale earned his third nomination last year for `The Big
Short' (having won for `The Fighter,' his first nod), while Isaac has
never been recognized but is much more familiar to voters now after
`Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and likely stands his best chance yet.
Either could follow in the footsteps of George's `Hotel Rwanda' star
Don Cheadle for a nod,' wrote Oliver Lyttelton of the Playlist Blog,
published on the entertainment website, Indiwire.

Golden Globe-winner Issac and Oscar winner Bale were announced as
leads of `The Promise' in June when Survivor Pictures, founded by
late-billionaire Kirk Kerkorian revealed the long-rumored film
project. According to early reports, Bale will play Chris, who is in
love with both a woman and the danger of being in a combat zone during
World War I. Isaac will play Michael, who is in love with the same
woman but conflicted by old-world traditions and his heart.

The film, which also stars, Charlotte Le Bon, James Cromwell, Marwan
Kenzari, Jean Reno, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Angela Sarafyan, among
others, completed shooting in Europe last fall and is in
post-production and editing stages. It is scheduled for release in
2016.

After shooting was completed on the film, Survival Pictures co-manager
and a producer of the film, Eric Esrailian told Asbarez in an email
that `Kirk will be proud,' referring to Kerkorian. `That makes all of
the hard work even more special.'

TORONTO—“The Promise,” the Armenian Genocide-themed feature produced by Kirk Kerkorian’s Survival Pictures will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The festival also announced on Tuesday that “The Promise” will be featured as one of the event’s coveted opening weekend galas on September 11.

“Michael, a humble Armenian apothecary, leaves his village to study medicine in cosmopolitan Constantinople. Chris, an American photojournalist who has come to the country to partly cover the geopolitics, is in a relationship with the talented Ana, a Paris-educated, Armenian artist. When Michael meets Ana, their shared heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men. After the Turks join the war on the German side, the Ottoman Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities. Despite their conflicts, everyone must find a way to survive — even as monumental events envelope their lives,” reads the film synopsis on the TIIF website.

Sources told Asbarez in June that “The Promise” is eyeing to hit theaters as early as December.

George, who was nominated for a best director Oscar for “Hotel Rwanda,” co-wrote “The Promise” with another Academy Award nominated screenwriter Robin Swicord. In March 2013, George was a guest of the Armenian State Pedagogical University, where the Irish filmmaker compared the Armenian Genocide to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

The film, which also stars, Charlotte Le Bon, James Cromwell, Marwan Kenzari, Jean Reno, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Angela Sarafyan, among others, completed shooting in Europe last fall and is in post-production.

After shooting was completed on the film, Survival Pictures co-manager and a producer of the film, Eric Esrailian told Asbarez in an email that “Kirk will be proud,” referring to Kerkorian. “That makes all of the hard work even more special.”

The entertainment blog, The Playlist, gave an early prediction that “The Promise” will be on a short list for Academy Award consideration in 2017.

System of A Down frontman Serj Tankian has finished a song for the Armenian Genocide-themed “The Promise” produced by Kirk Kerkorian’s Survival Pictures.

“I am really excited to have finished a beautiful song I did with my friends the Authentic Light Orchestra for “The Promise” soundtrack. The film produced by Survival Pictures and Eric Esrailian and directed by Terry George stars Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale along with my friend Angela Sarafyan in a powerful love story during the last, genocidal days of the Ottoman Empire,” Tankian said in a Facebook post.

“The Promise,” the Armenian Genocide-themed feature produced by Kirk Kerkorian’s Survival Pictures will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The festival also announced on Tuesday that “The Promise” will be featured as one of the event’s coveted opening weekend galas on September 11.

“Michael, a humble Armenian apothecary, leaves his village to study medicine in cosmopolitan Constantinople. Chris, an American photojournalist who has come to the country to partly cover the geopolitics, is in a relationship with the talented Ana, a Paris-educated, Armenian artist. When Michael meets Ana, their shared heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men. After the Turks join the war on the German side, the Ottoman Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities. Despite their conflicts, everyone must find a way to survive — even as monumental events envelope their lives,” reads the film synopsis on the TIIF website.

Upcoming feature film The Promise, which takes on the subject of the Armenian Genocide, is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September.

Expectations for The Promise are high, not least because its director is Terry George of Hotel Rwanda (2004) fame, and it features Golden Globe winner Oscar Issac, Academy Award winning actor Christian Bale and Charlotte Le Bon in starring roles. The film is produced by Survival Pictures, which was founded by the late Kirk Kerkorian, who was of Armenian origin.

The Promise centres on the developing love triangle between an Armenian medical student, an American journalist based in Paris and a Paris-educated Armenian artist during the final days of the Ottoman Empire.

TIFF announced earlier this week that the film will be featured as one of the event's prestigious opening weekend galas on 11 September. According to Armenian internet magazineAsbarez, The Promise could be in cinemas as early as December.

(Variety) - Terry George earned critical raves with 2004’s “Hotel Rawanda,” an unflinching portrait of courage in the face of human cruelty that nabbed Oscar nominations for its script and for stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo. Now, the Irish screenwriter and director is shining a light on another dark chapter in history with “The Promise.”

The drama stars Christian Bale, Oscar Isaac, and Charlotte Le Bon as the various points in a romantic triangle between a medical student, a journalist, and a woman during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. It is one of the hottest titles still looking for distribution at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, and could incite controversy over its portrayal of the Armenian Genocide.

That’s because Turkey, the empire’s successor state, refuses to acknowledge that 1.5 million Armenians were systemically exterminated in 1915 at the order of the Ottoman government.

George spoke with Variety about why he was compelled to wade into these turbulent political waters, the difficulty he faces making challenging movies in popcorn-obsessed Hollywood, and the great epics that inspired his latest film.

The Armenian Genocide doesn’t scream love story. Why did you decide to dramatize this history through that genre?

All the great films like “Dr. Zhavago” or “Reds” tell a personal story, and a love story seemed like a great way to take people through an event that is alien to them. Producing a piece of entertainment is an effective way to educate people. Even “Hotel Rawanda” was essentially a love story between Paul [Rusesabagina] and [his wife] Tatiana set inside a bigger political context. Robin Swicord’s script [for “The Promise”] was a straightforward love story, and I introduced the notion of a love triangle.

Why won’t the Obama administration acknowledge that this was a genocide?

Clearly because of Turkey’s strategic power. Obama promised the Armenian community that he would when he was running for election and he reneged on that promise. But successive American governments have failed to, as well. First it was the Cold War and Turkey’s position on the Soviet border made it vital. Now it is essentially the borderline between Europe and Asia, and the war with ISIS and the war in Syria, which gives Turkey a lot of control over how this story is told.

Are you hoping that this film makes people come to terms with this history?

I am. It’s one of the great forgotten catastrophes of the 20th century. The word genocide was coined to describe what happened to the Armenian community.

Do you think the Turkish government will stage protests when the film screens at Toronto?

I’m not sure that it’s on their radar yet. I’m sure that the Turkish government will react the same way that they react when the anniversary of the genocide rolls around every year, which is to deny it.

The explanation behind the Armenian Genocide is not easy to explain, but simply put, the Ottoman Empire (what would later become Turkey) rounded up and murdered over a million Armenian men, women and children throughout the first World War. A horrific event to be sure and one which the Turkish government continues to deny. Sounds like something you'd want to frame a love triangle around doesn't it? HOTEL RWANDA director Terry George has returned with THE PROMISE, a historical drama which follows medical student Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac) and American photo-journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale) as they fight for the heart of Armenian artist Ana (Charlotte le Bon), even as the Ottoman Empire crumbles around them. Check out the recently released trailer for yourself.

A synopsis for THE PROMISE:

It is 1914. As the Great War looms, the vast Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Constantinople (Istanbul), its once vibrant, multicultural capital is about to be consumed by chaos. Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), arrives in the cosmopolitan hub as a medical student determined to bring modern medicine back to Siroun, his ancestral village in Southern Turkey where Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived side by side for centuries.

Photo-journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale), has come here only partly to cover geo-politics. He is mesmerized by his love for Ana (Charlotte le Bon), an Armenian artist he has accompanied from Paris after the sudden death of her father. When Michael meets Ana, their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men even as Michael hangs on to a promise from his past. After the Turks join the war on the German side, the Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities. Despite their conflicts, everyone must find a way to survive — even as monumental events envelope their lives.

Just 2 days shy of its premier, we finally have a trailer for The Promise... and does it look good!!! "The Promise" is produced by Survival Pictures and directed by Terry George.

The Promise was partly Filmed in Malta, benefitted from the support of the Malta Film Commission and Falkun Films was the production service company for the Malta shoot.

Synopsis

It is 1914. As the Great War looms, the vast Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Constantinople (Istanbul), its once vibrant, multicultural capital is about to be consumed by chaos.

Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), arrives in the cosmopolitan hub as a medical student determined to bring modern medicine back to Siroun, his ancestral village in Southern Turkey where Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived side by side for centuries.

Photo-journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale), has come here only partly to cover geo-politics. He is mesmerized by his love for Ana (Charlotte le Bon), an Armenian artist he has accompanied from Paris after the sudden death of her father.

When Michael meets Ana, their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men even as Michael hangs on to a promise from his past. After the Turks join the war on the German side, the Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities. Despite their conflicts, everyone must find a way to survive — even as monumental events envelope their lives.

Directed by: Terry George (Hotel Rwanda, Reservation Road, The Shore)

Written by: Terry George and Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

A question Adolf Hitler once asked still haunts the history of political atrocities: “Who remembers the Armenians today?”

He was confident that in a few years no one would care that he killed a multitude of Jews. After all, the Ottoman Empire and its successor state, Turkey, murdered more than a million Armenians, beginning in 1915. Less than three decades later, Hitler believed that crime was already forgotten.

In fact, much of the world ignored the Armenian tragedy as it was occurring. The First World War seemed more important than fragmentary news from remote Anatolia. But ever since, Armenians around the world have done their best to recall what happened. Every April 24 they commemorate the day in 1915 when the Turkish government began the genocide by arresting 200 Armenian community leaders in Istanbul. They were imprisoned and in most cases executed.

Armenians particularly want governments to acknowledge what happened as genocide, the conscious attempt to obliterate an ethnic group. The government of Turkey is just as anxious to deny that genocide occurred. The official story is that the people involved were deportees, leaving Turkey by foot, under harsh circumstances. That would explain the deaths.

Within Turkey it’s forbidden to name this a genocide. Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s winner of the Nobel prize in literature, was prosecuted for “insulting Turkishness” by referring to the killings in an interview with a Swiss magazine. Protests from around the world got Pamuk’s case dismissed. But there are still Turks who believe Pamuk expressed anti-Turkish opinions just to promote his career.

This decades-old dispute has taken an interesting turn with the appearance of the first ambitious and expensive movie about the genocide, The Promise. It’s a U.S.-Spain co-production recently given its world première at the Toronto International Film Festival. The director, Terry George, who had a success with Hotel Rwanda, embraces the story as told by most Armenians and most historians. He depicts masses of Armenians of all ages trying to escape Turkish rule, travelling across deserts and mountains as Turkish soldiers harass and shoot them. These sections of the film are convincing and moving.

But there’s also a wearying romantic triangle involving Michael (Oscar Isaac), a medical student, Chris, a U.S. journalist sympathetic to Armenians (Christian Bale) and the woman they both love, Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), a painter. This badly over-written, too-familiar tale takes up much of the film’s foreground.

The Promise does not attempt to explain why the Turks hated Armenians. Turks were Muslims, Armenians were Christians, both living under Ottoman rule. The Armenians tended to be better educated and more prosperous, creating envy.

They were also said to be close to their neighbours, the Russians, and Turks suspected them of treason. In the First World War, Turkey sided with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian empire while Russia was allied with Britain and France. Turkey justified the forced deportation of the Armenians as a “wartime measure of military security.” Armenians were also victims of the passionate nationalism of Turkey. The cause of independence brought with it a desire to “Turkify” the new nation-state.

If the genocide was little noticed by the world, it was recorded by many witnesses. Henry Morgenthau, American ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, described it as “a campaign of race extermination” in a 1915 telegram to Washington. In his memoirs he wrote, “When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race. In their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact.”

In forcing the victims to reach its border, Turkey made no provisions for them. They were allowed only what they could carry. Starvation killed many. There were many massacres. Those Armenians not shot were reduced to a famished mass. Having inhabited the Armenian highlands for 3,000 years, survivors eventually settled in about two dozen countries around the world. Those who eluded deportation formed a small enclave, Russian Armenia. By late 1920, the Soviet Army arrived and their region became the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Freed finally by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the current Republic of Armenia appeared.

Today Armenians remain intent on getting more countries to recognize the genocide — so far 28 have done so. Recognition passed Canada’s parliament in 2004, after vigorous lobbying by Sarkis Assadourian, an Armenian-Canadian Liberal MP from Toronto — and over objections from the Turkish ambassador in Ottawa. He said Canada would suffer because Turkey would not buy Candu reactors or Canadian-made trains.

This year, Germany infuriated Turkey for a special reason. In June the Bundestag passed a resolution labelling the event a genocide, causing Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to recall his ambassador. Worse, for Turkey, 11 Bundestag members who voted for the resolution had a Turkish background. Several received death threats. Erdogan attacked them by suggesting they take blood tests to see “what kind of Turks they are.”

Erdogan loses most of these battles, despite his skills in diplomacy. He lost conceivably the biggest one, with Pope Francis. The pope has publicly used the word genocide in connection with the Armenians and says he has always done so.